All the hunting and cooking he did as a boy certainly helped lay the groundwork for Chef Anthony Gray's career path. As partner and executive chef for Stella's Restaurant Group in Greenville, his daily grind pivots around the careful curating of ingredients for Stella's Southern Bistro and Stella’s Southern Brasserie. He is key in the development of Stella's menu of inspired dishes, which features plenty of locally sourced products.
Introducing Chef Anthony Gray
When it comes to planning the menu at Stella's, the seasons are in charge. This allows Gray to put South Carolina's freshest agricultural products in the spotlight. Every ingredient receives special attention in line with his vision for the restaurant. His locavore aesthetic is especially evident in foraged ingredients like mushrooms, ramps, and greens that he gathers from the great outdoors.
Backstory
Born and raised in Georgia, Gray got a taste for Southern cooking at an early age. But it was his decision to seek formal training at Johnson & Wales in Charleston that set him firmly on the trajectory to chefdom.
While there, he had the good fortune of meeting South Carolina legend Chef Frank Lee, who hired Gray to assist in the kitchen of Slightly North of Broad. Gray soaked up every bit of Lee's guidance and was eventually named sous chef at High Cotton, another iconic restaurant in the historic city. There, he developed his expertise so impressively that he soon rose to the top of the class, earning executive chef positions at High Cotton in both Charleston and Greenville.
In 2011, he took the helm at Southern Art in Atlanta and was named one of the city's "Rising Star Chefs." But South Carolina beckoned him back. Gray returned to Greenville, where he and a few business colleagues opened Bacon Bros. in 2013.
In 2020, he became a partner at Stella's Restaurant Group, directing culinary operations and serving as executive chef at Stella’s Southern Bistro, Stella’s Southern Brasserie, and future concepts.
